The general expectation that most managers have is to seek a new role (and in many cases, even push for a promotion) every 3 years or so. The HR approach in many companies also perpetuates this mind set. The ostensible thinking behind this philosophy is that the 3-year-movement cycle is necessary to provide a breadth…

You are probably familiar with the feedback sandwich. The concept is simple: put the criticism between two slices of praise in order to make it more acceptable to the receiver. This may even be your favoured method of giving feedback! To be sure, the feedback sandwich is well intentioned: it is meant to ease a…

Recently, when describing the performance in one of our business lines, a business leader mentioned it was fine, considering some of the challenges in the environment. In reality though, the performance was sub-par. And he was couching it in a way that he thought seemed more palatable. Come to think of it, “fine” is probably…

“Is your day by design or by default?” – J.D. Meier Have you ever noticed how much of your time at the workplace is spent reacting to outside forces and events? Be it responding to emails as they arrive or firefighting day-to-day “emergencies”, too many people are swept along by ad-hoc waves and currents –…

A few days back, I was chatting with a young entrepreneur about his new venture. When I probed about what his company was focusing on, he mentioned in the same breath that it was trying to be a software company, a service provider and a platform. And cater to multiple customer segments. After all, it…

We are a couple of weeks into 2018 and I’m guessing that many of you have crafted your resolutions for the year. Unsurprisingly, eating healthy usually ranks as one of the most common resolutions that people make. It is obvious to most of us that what we eat plays a crucial role in our physical…

Don’t walk under a ladder to avoid bad luck, change the spelling of your name to attract good fortune, don’t begin a journey right after sneezing, use the power of lemons and chillies to ward off the evil eye….one could go on and on about the daily superstitions that fill everyday life – not just…

Listening seems relatively easy, doesn’t it? In reality though, to truly listen is an art – one that is practiced by too few of us. If you are really honest with yourself, you will realise that while “listening” to other people talk, you are mostly preoccupied with your inner voice. Whether it’s recalling similar incidents…

“The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” – Robert Burns Be it securing the desired outcome from a professional negotiation, strengthening an important relationship or meeting a personal growth goal, we often deviate from our carefully crafted plans. Why? What causes our inability to stick to a course of action? Why…

About 2 weeks ago, my father passed away quite suddenly. A few weeks prior to that, two other members of our senior leadership team lost one of their parents as well. Coping with a big personal loss or comforting colleagues who may be grieving can be quite difficult. Although we may want to be supportive,…

In business, we have colleagues and co-workers. In the military, they call each other brothers and sisters. This observation, pointed out by noted author, Simon Sinek, really resonated with me. One of the things that struck me over the last few months, as we have been talking to our teams about The Godrej Way, is…

“To begin with the end in mind means to start with a clear understanding of your destination. It means to know where you’re going so that you better understand where you are now so that the steps you take are always in the right direction.” – Stephen Covey You may have heard that the most important…

Over the last few weeks, we have been sharing some perspectives around the different aspects of our purpose and values, as a company. Today, I want to bring that conversation of purpose to an individual level and ask you to think about what each of us can do to instill a deeper sense of personal…

“There is only one boss. The customer. And he can fire everybody in the company from the chairman on down simply by spending his money somewhere else.” – Sam Walton Simply put, we love to delight our consumers. This is integral to who we are as a company. It is also what inspires us to…

“All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make, the better” – Ralph Waldo Emerson How does a chess player go from good to great? What sets an extraordinary classical musician apart from the crowd? Why do some cricketers achieve legendary status, while others lag behind? According to author Malcolm Gladwell, the clinching factor…

Remember the first time you discovered an echo? And you were fascinated by how when you shouted out something, it came bouncing back at you from all directions? And if you did it again and again, trying out new combinations and each time, it came back. It was exactly what you said, just a bit…

It probably is obvious to you that people who feel valued perform at much higher levels than those who don’t. And team members also naturally tend to look for tangible proof that they are valued. Just like in any relationship, you want to know when things are working and when they aren’t. Recognition does that….

“Success today requires the agility and drive to constantly rethink, reinvigorate, react, and reinvent.” – Bill Gates It is no surprise that volatility is the new normal. Fast paced changes, new forms of competition, macroeconomic uncertainties, and technology enabled disruptions are making the terrain more complex and uncertain. This is creating unprecedented challenges as well…

“Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.” To be a successful leader, humility is becoming increasingly crucial. In today’s complex world, no one person has the answers. Leaders increasingly need help from their teams to thrive. And humble leaders inspire greater loyalty and higher productivity. Not surprisingly, people like working for leaders who are…

Have you ever belittled a team member in front of others? Or perhaps used inappropriate language? Or screamed during a meeting? Or do you brow-beat your team members? Such behaviour could point to a lack of treating others with respect. However, disrespect can take place in more subtle ways as well. For instance, do you constantly look…

“Silence becomes cowardice when occasion demands speaking out the whole truth and acting accordingly” – Mahatma Gandhi Over the last few weeks, our HR team members have been hosting small group workshops across our businesses and geographies to discuss the Godrej Way – a refreshed version of our purpose and values. Through these sessions, we…

Over the last few weeks, Nisa Godrej and I have been travelling across our different locations to discuss with our team members ‘The Godrej Way’ – our recently articulated purpose and values. This has been a great opportunity to have meaningful chats with many of our team members. While ‘The Godrej Way’ is resonating well…

In my message last week, I shared our thoughts behind crafting ‘The Godrej Way’ – our refreshed purpose and values. The Godrej Way is fundamental to who we are. It is the cultural cornerstone that will guide our choices and actions. In the various sessions that we are having to share and discuss The Godrej Way,…

We all have certain principles that we live by. These values are what shape our choices and experiences. They ground us. Think back to when you were a child. Much of the person who you are today has arguably been shaped by what happened back then. You too were probably taught by your parents to…

More than eight months have passed in 2017. I wonder, how many of you have kept your last New Year’s resolutions? We begin the year full of ambitious ideas – be it shedding 5 kilos, mastering a new language, or implementing a path-breaking idea at work. But almost inevitably, motivation flags within a couple of…

We all know how the speed of change and increasing volatility is creating significant challenges and providing new opportunities for many organisations. Apart from becoming more operationally efficient, in order to sustain performance, companies need to nourish creativity and drive innovation at a faster pace than ever before. However, ask most people in most organisations what…

I was talking to one of our leaders recently and he was lamenting that after a few tough quarters he felt that he was “running out of steam”. This is not unusual. At one point or another, we all feel sapped out of our energy. Think about it. Most of your days are probably very…

In spite of how fulfilling and challenging our jobs might be, we all have to do things that are tedious or even boring! It could be the fifty emails that need to be answered or the power point presentation that needs to be polished or the documentation that needs to be completed. The list can…

Many of you in India probably remember the series of Onida television ads, which featured a horned devil and the tagline “neighbour’s envy, owner’s pride”. The campaign ran very successfully for many years. The novelty of the brand mascot played a role, but more importantly, the emotion at the heart of the ads touched a…

As most of you know, I usually try to work a couple of days from home every month. I have found that this is a great way to carve out some time to think through our longer term objectives. Telecommuting or flexible work options have been around in workplaces (especially the US) for a couple of decades…

We are in the midst of our 360 degree feedback process this year, which is a great tool for getting holistic feedback from multiple stakeholders. One of the things that I have found intriguing from the data of previous years, is that the self-assessment ratings that individuals give themselves tend to be much higher than…

We all know the increasing importance of resilience, the ability to recover and bounce back. As Harvard Business School professor, Rosabeth Moss Canter puts it, resilience is no longer a good-to-have skill; in today’s world, it is a must-have, crucial to survival and success. Yet, resilience is hard. Author Steven Synder says it well, “[Resilience]…

We all seem to be consumed by busyness. Complexity has become the bane of many organisations. The deluge of meetings and emails is slowing us down. Bureaucracy is coming in the way. Productivity is becoming a real challenge. Many of us are trying to deal with this by working longer hours or multi-tasking. However, research…

Do you find yourself shaking your head disapprovingly at a colleague’s sloppy attire? Or perhaps admiring a sharply-dressed fellow leader? Most people make certain (sometimes subconscious) judgments about others based on the way they dress. Author Darlene Price puts it well: “In the big picture of ultimate reality, what you wear neither defines who you…

So, do you think you are coasting in your role? Do you feel satisfied with incremental achievements? Do you like your routine? Are you comfortable with the way things are? Do you end up making excuses when things go wrong? Do you tune out of meetings? Do you feel worn out when you have to…

I find it delightful to quietly watch my five year old daughter, Imara, play by herself (that is, when she is not bothering her older two siblings :)). Imara can spend hours talking to her toys, stuffed animals, dolls or characters from her books. She asks them questions and answers back on their behalf. Her…

Most of us have a voice that lives inside our head, permanently poised to offer its two cents. For some of you, this voice may be a tireless cheerleader, encouraging you and boosting your morale. But for others, it can be the harshest of critics, pulling you down and undermining your confidence. If you identify…

Recently, one of our team members was feeling frustrated at things not moving at the desired pace in her team. The team was having good meetings, and everyone seemed to be in sync. And yet, many of the issues that had been aligned on before kept surfacing back in subsequent meetings. This is quite common….

Recently, our team members were sharing stories about Godrej values and what we stand for. Many people talked about how caring the organisation is. Team members mentioned numerous examples of when someone in the organisation or their family members were very sick or had an accident and how the company took care of the costs…

In recent years, we have seen new types of players emerge in the FMCG industry. For many incumbents though, the first reaction was to ignore. This was in spite of alerts from the sales teams on the ground. Several large players got into denial mode. Teams took comfort in looking at market share data from…

Recently, one of our team members came by to express concerns about a barrage of verbal onslaught he was receiving from one of our leaders. After a lot of angst, he mustered up the courage to bring it up. While on the surface his working relationship with this colleague seemed okay, he was increasingly feeling…

For those of you who have come to my office, you would have noticed that it sometimes looks a bit messy. Every now and then, I try to go into “declutter” mode. While I have been trying to get better, I still have some distance to cover to get to a pristine desk. In general,…

The recent Godrej Leadership Forum, our annual meet which brings together our leaders from across the globe, was themed on the ‘XX Factor’. As part of the event, we hosted some wonderful sessions by award-winning columnist and feminist writer, Mona Eltahawy; mountaineering twins Tashi and Nungshi Malik; filmmaker, Paromita Vohra; ISRO Mars Mission scientist, Moumita…

Last week, in a values discussion with our senior team, Shailesh Deshpande, who leads Talent and Leadership Development for the Godrej Group, talked about how leaders today need a different playbook to motivate, energise and engage their team members. We need to figure out what we need to do differently to connect with our teams…

Do you find yourself using a lot of “um”, “uh”, “well”, “so”, “you know”, “er”, “I think” or “like” when you are presenting or speaking in a meeting? The use of these “filler” words can get out of control if you are not conscious of them. These are meaningless and add no value – yet,…

So, have you encountered colleagues or team members who are driven by their self-interest? Or who like to protect their own turf? Those who are fixated on gaining more power? Or those who undercut the efforts of others? Or like to take all the credit? For generations, conversations on what drives success revolved around individual elements…

I have been reading HBS professor Bharat Anand’s highly acclaimed book, The Content Trap, on digital transformation. One of the fascinating examples that Prof. Anand talks about is the impact of digital on the newspaper industry. The conventional view is that print newspapers seem to be a dying breed because readers are migrating online to read…

One of the key areas that inhibits many leaders to progress in their careers is the ability to act strategically. While a lot of managers are very good at managing teams and executing and delivering short-term results, they struggle to step back and think big picture – to define the longer-term strategic agenda, articulate choices…

You will be hard pressed to find a leader who will say that she is not busy. “Swamped”, “snowed”, “buried” or “slammed” are words that one frequently hears. Busyness has become the badge of honour for leaders. Most of us constantly complain about having too much to do and too little time. Talking about how busy we are makes…

I am pleased that Lynette Lombaard has written this week’s message on the perspective of introverts. Lynette is a talented designer in our Godrej South Africa team. I recently started following her group on Workplace called ‘Understanding Introverts’. Her messages, which tackle some deep and rather nuanced issues on personality types (with a dose of humour), got me…

Frankly, I am quite reticent about striking conversations with strangers. On a flight, for instance, I don’t usually initiate conversations with fellow passengers. I prefer immersing myself into a book or a magazine. If the stranger next to me is in a talkative mood, then I usually exchange a few initial pleasantries, wondering though when I can get back…

‘My boss wants me to cc: him on every email’ ‘He asks for frequent updates’ ‘She loves getting into the details and relishes pointing out mistakes’ ‘He schedules ad hoc meetings with my team members even when I am not there’ These probably sound familiar to you—and that’s because most of us have worked with…

A friend was recently commenting about a colleague who demanded that one of his team members cancel a planned vacation for just an internal review. Unfortunately, this kind of insensitive behaviour is not uncommon in organisations. How about a boss who enjoys creating fake deadlines? Or someone who holds impromptu meetings with your team, while…

Now that we are a few weeks into the start of the year, this would be a good time to take a pause and assess how you are doing on your list of resolutions for the year. I’m sure you have made plenty of to-do lists in your life – probably at the start of this…

Consumers are engaging with brands in amazingly new ways and technology is profoundly changing how we sell. In this evolving landscape, the role of sales becomes even more crucial. And for our sales team and our approach to be a differentiator, it is important to build an enabled, passionate and empowered sales organisation, supported by…

I was recently chatting with one of our leaders. He was feeling frustrated. He felt that while he and his team had come up with some ambitious plans, his team wasn’t able to achieve those plans. Several team members were faltering in their execution. While the team sounded very committed, they were not consistently delivering. So, he…

I recently came across a book written a few years ago by Bronnie Ware, a nurse in Australia. She spent many years working with people during the last few weeks of their lives. While caring for her dying patients, she recorded the most common regrets her patients had expressed to her. She later published them…

The bumbling boss who fumbles and blusters his way through the office is an enduring caricature across popular culture, from television series like The Office to the Dilbert comic strip in the daily newspaper. Behind this stereotype lies some truth. Let’s admit it: each of us has worked with at least one (if not more) incompetent manager…

For most of our parents, it was assumed that they would retire by the time they were 60. However, things are changing rapidly. People are now living longer and working for longer than any other time in history. The World Health Organisation’s research shows that global average life expectancy increased by 5 years between 2000 and 2015….

A couple of months back, when I was spending some time with our team in Argentina, it was wonderful to see a renewed sense of purpose, teamwork and cohesion in the team. The various team members talked about a company culture built on respect, trust, sharing, caring and empathy. When I discussed with Anand Rangaswamy, our business head for the region…

Let’s face it. It feels terrible losing good people. So, whenever one of our well-performing team members decides to leave us, I feel pained. I wonder if the organisation has somehow let the person down. Or whether the person has not fully appreciated the career proposition that we offer. Recently, one of our millennial team…

In some recent discussions that we were having while discussing a particular acquisition, I was struck by how our team was focusing far more on what could go wrong with the acquisition than the significant opportunities. This is not something that is a one-off though. When you assess some of our innovations that have been delayed, you probably can see similar attempts at playing “devil’s…

Usually, during performance review or promotion cycles, it is quite usual to see a spike in people getting into “patting oneself on the back” mode! The frequency of self-congratulatory messages touting recent achievements increases. Most of us want to make a positive impression and have a need to feel valued. Sometimes, we are insecure about ourselves. And…

The last few weeks have been tumultuous for all of us in India as we have been in the midst of the most radical financial experiment in recent times. The withdrawal, practically overnight, of 86 per cent of the currency notes in circulation has disrupted lives. While many people have been facing tremendous hardships, what has shined though is…

On December 5th, Godrej Global Volunteering Day, we will dedicate a day across our global offices to volunteer our time with local schools. I hope that you and your teams will whole-heartedly participate in and support this effort. Even as you gear up for this, do also pause to consider using this opportunity to start your own volunteering…

As children, we are told by our parents to be careful about the friends we make. And when we become parents, we offer the same advice to our kids, explaining how the people they surround themselves with will have an immeasurable impact on them. Somehow, though, as adults we don’t end up thinking about how…

Quite often, when things don’t pan out as desired, we start placing blame instead of taking responsibility. Whining creeps in. We don’t take accountability for our choices and our actions. This “woe is me” attitude can be quite toxic. So, my message this week is on what you can do to fight a victim mindset….

Most of us would admit to have felt the pangs of self-doubt in our lives at some point – those moments when, often uncharacteristically so, you start feeling like you are in over your head. It could be triggered by a variety of reasons or no reason at all – a new job or a…

In 1988, Peter Drucker predicted that in two decades, the typical organisation would become far more agile and efficient, trimming the layers as well as numbers of managerial staff. Which just goes to show that even “the founder of modern management” couldn’t be sure what the future would hold! Far from shrinking, bureaucracy has instead…

‘Scotoma’, derived from the Greek skótos, meaning darkness, is the name for an area of obscured vision in your otherwise normal field of vision. The point of entry of the optic nerve on your retina is insensitive to light, and so, your vision is ‘blinded’ here. You also know it as your ‘blind spot’. Just…

From historic icons like inventor Nikola Tesla and philosopher Swami Vivekananda, to popular television characters like scientist Sheldon Cooper and FBI agent Spender Reid—some of the most brilliant minds are said to possess an eidetic memory (most of us know this as photographic memory). Whether the geniuses are real or fictional, our fascination is the…

We are all familiar with Gandhi ji’s quote, “you must be the change you wish to see in the world”. The supposed story behind this quote is that a mother once visited Gandhi ji and requested him to tell her son to not eat too much sugar. Gandhi ji asked the lady to return back…

We recently concluded our 360 degree feedback process, which was, like most years, met with mixed reactions. Not surprising though; because receiving feedback is always tricky. As leaders, we often think that we are required to have all the answers. That doesn’t leave much space for us to be asking around for help. Add to…

I’m biased, you’re biased, we’re all biased. According to massive amounts of modern research, there’s no escaping the everyday reality of how biased we are. Yet, the more I read about how our minds work, the more I get into a bit of denial mode. Not me, I think. I’m not biased, am I? I…

A refrain that I hear often is that as you become more senior, the job starts feeling a bit lonelier. You’re not alone in feeling like this. While there are tremendously fulfilling aspects of being a leader, what many people find unsettling is getting isolated from their teams. Think about it. As your responsibilities expand,…

We all know that we need more leaders to be able to achieve our aspirations. The best way to create more leaders is through today’s leaders nurturing tomorrow’s. Each of our roles in developing others therefore is critical. To enable this, leaders need to be great teachers. Noted Professor Noel Tichy, who once led the GE…

People don’t leave organisations, they leave bosses. You’ve heard this before and as clichéd as it sounds, it is true. If we want to attract and retain the best talent, we have to be engaging leaders. As many of you would agree, this is something that comes with practice. Over time, you learn how to…

We all perform multiple roles in our personal and professional lives. Not to mention the need for time for our own physical and emotional well being. Juggling all the different priorities can certainly be a challenge. How to attain work-life balance has, therefore, become a raging debate. Frankly, though, I find the term “work-life balance” a somewhat strange phrase….

If you haven’t yet watched Michelle Obama’s speech at the 2016 Democratic National Convention, please do so (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZNWYqDU948). The content of her words and their political context aside, her delivery of the speech, and the way it has made people around the world sit up, take note and listen, is a great example of that…

152 days down the road, on January 15, 2017, over 40,000 people will be running the Mumbai marathon. Those of you who run regularly, will vouch for the fact that this is much more than just a race. Each person running it has their own story, one that has probably started much before the actual…

You know that uncomfortable feeling you get when you’re delivering a presentation or speaking in a meeting and you see people checking emails or looking at the time or just seeming bored? Sometimes it makes you try harder to get their attention (without much success). Often, you end up quite frustrated with how easily they…

“We tend to judge others by their behaviour, and ourselves by our intentions.” Think about your childhood. Regardless of the various things you may have done wrong, my guess is that in most cases your parents forgave you (after the occasional bouts of anger or disappointment). They saw eventually that your intentions were not wrong but you exhibited the wrong behaviour….

As we get larger, we have amazing opportunities to capitalise on the benefits of scale and our presence in multiple geographies. At the same time, we have to watch out for the classic pitfalls large multinationals face – becoming slow, not making effective decisions, not innovating fast enough or pushing unnecessary paperwork. Noted strategist (and ex-colleague) James…

Think about the run-up to a big presentation. Or getting a new product launched on time. Go back to the days when you were in school. How about the adrenaline rush before a major game or race? The feeling before a big exam? We’ve all experienced stress at arguably the most pivotal moments in our…

The Internet has made our world smaller and brought us closer than ever before. It has opened us up to more information than we could’ve imagined. And it has given everyone a voice. It has transformed activism in many ways and made it more powerful. We can choose to stand up for causes that we…

Sometimes, despite your best efforts, things may not work out the way you want them to. It happens. And sometimes, it isn’t really anyone’s fault. But when things go wrong, you have a choice – you can either find a positive approach to handle the situation or you can stay caught in a rut. We…

This is the time of the year when many of us take some time off for vacations, to unplug and rejuvenate. Some of us head to the beach to frolic in the sun or the mountains to escape the heat. Some just unwind and chill out. Others visit family members to strengthen bonds. As you think about…

You will agree that integrity is the bedrock of Godrej. It is intrinsic to who we are and it has held us in very good stead for nearly 120 years now. To most of us, integrity is probably associated with ethics and morals. And about being upright and honest. We know that lapses or violations…

In the epic Mahabharata, there is a story about Guru Dronacharya testing his students in archery. Dronacharya set up a wooden bird upon a tree, and from across the adjacent river, asked the princes to shoot it down by striking its eye. When prince Duryodhana tried first, Dronacharya asked him what he saw. Duryodhana replied that…

“We lived on farms, then we lived in cities, and now we’re going to live on the Internet”, says Sean Parker in The Social Network, the film on how Facebook was founded. And that has come to pass. Social networking has fundamentally redefined identity. Pervasive, intuitive and incredibly powerful in the way it cuts across barriers of…

“I’ve been meaning to read that, but just haven’t got around to it!” Does that sound familiar? Chances are it’s your stock response when someone recommends a book. Many of us lament the fact that children today seem to prefer television, video games and social media chatter to books. Yet, our own hectic lives seem…

Last year, around this time, one of our senior team members came to me and said that the raise we were proposing for him was too high. He had very clear reasons on why it should be lowered. Truth be told – it is very rare that a team member tries to negotiate their salary…

Johannes Haushofer, an assistant professor of psychology and public affairs at Princeton, has been much talked about recently after he published a ‘CV of Failures’ (http://bit.ly/1Ufbg90). It is a must read. Written as a regular CV, it lists the ‘degree programs I did not get into’, the ‘academic positions and fellowships I did not get’…

For many of us, so much of our time during the day is either spent in front of the computer or in meetings. I remember once reading that “The common denominator in the modern workday is our tush.” Sitting is ‘the new smoking’, say some experts. Research suggests that our sedentary lifestyles today, fuelled by the increased…

As you all know, this is “awards” season at Godrej! Apart from the Group Awards, the GCPL annual awards and various awards at the cluster level (like the upcoming “How-Wow-Now” awards in the India/SAARC cluster), it is great to see how we are getting better at recognising and celebrating the many achievements of our team…

A couple of weeks ago, the Godrej Leadership Forum (which consists of the senior leaders in the group) explored the theme of symphony in our work, in our relationships and in our personal lives. Parmesh Shahani, who leads the Godrej India Culture Lab, curated some great sessions with a diverse set of speakers. As part of this…

I still remember my first day in business school. Everyone else seemed to be smarter and more accomplished than I. And I remember feeling quite insecure and wondering whether I was an admissions mistake! Getting the occasional bouts of insecurity is nothing unusual. At one point or the other, I am sure that all of…

“The ultimate inspiration is the deadline.” Nolan Bushnell, the founder of Atari, is credited with this quote. I am not sure though how many of you feel this way! The origins of the term “deadline” actually come from prison camps during the American civil war. It referred to a physical line or boundary. Guards would…

So often in discussions, I find our team members asking – “So, what is the industry best practice?” These ‘best practices’ have long become the Holy Grail of determining what and how to improve. The questions invariably revolve around – do you know what the best practices are? Is what you are doing a best practice? Who…

When someone once asked Charlie Chaplin what it takes to come up with a great idea, he said it was “sheer perseverance to the point of madness.” Chaplin, for all his bumbling antics on screen, was a very different person off screen. Known to be almost fanatical about perfection, he would spend several hours in rehearsal….

We have recently rolled out our annual review process for the year. Over the next few weeks, we will be spending time with our team members in detailed discussions on their performance for the year gone by. This is also when we step back to take stock of the larger picture, reflect on all that…

As you know, improving gender diversity is a key imperative for us. Increasingly, many women, who join us, will be juggling the multiple demands of a career, marriage and family. Many more couples will be dual career couples who will look to balance both their personal and professional lives and support each other. I am…

When I was asked by Mr. Adi Godrej and the GCPL Board to take on the responsibility for GCPL a few years back, it was a somewhat atypical choice. Most CEOs in FMCG companies typically come from deep sales and marketing backgrounds. And so, after I assumed the responsibility, I decided to speak openly to…

Last week, I spent a few days with our team in Chile. And they mentioned to me how they had all gone horse riding through steep terrain during a recent off-site. While they were initially very nervous, they found the experience very exhilarating. Many of our other team members have also tried to push themselves….

We all know that smartphones are transforming our lives – the way we communicate, connect and learn, among many things. However, as they become an increasing part of our day-to-day routine, are they now controlling our lives? Do you find yourself on your smartphone just about all the time? Scrolling for updates, often when you…

For many of us, writing can be a great way to remember things, get our thoughts organised, and to introspect. However, in today’s age of instant communication and tweets, writing – especially in the long form – seems to be taking a back seat. Someone I met recently talked about taking the time to write down their thoughts…

It was Benjamin Franklin who had said “Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise”. Tim Cook is up at 4:30 AM, sending emails and heading to the gym. Barack Obama makes it a point to squeeze in a workout at 6:45 AM. Margaret Thatcher would be up at 5…

We have all known loss and fear. It could have been losing someone we loved dearly, coping with a crisis or being diagnosed with a serious illness. We may have won some of these battles. We may have also lost some. But either way, there is no denying that battling your way through really tough…

One of our key imperatives as a Group, is to build and groom the next generation of women leaders at Godrej. Making a real change will require us to do much more than just follow guidelines. We really need to become authentic leaders of change. We need to better appreciate the challenges that women face…

There is an old quote that says “we have two ears and one mouth, so we should listen more than we speak.” The challenge is that the more senior we become in organisations, we tend to speak more and listen less. Bottom line, it is not possible to be a great leader without being a…

All of us have learnt at work about goals and planning. Long range plans, annual plans, business goals, individual goals, joint goals and review sessions are part and parcel of corporate life. Yet, while we are the same person at work and in personal life, we hesitate to apply some of these practices to improve…

Over the last couple of days, many of you have probably been making lists and exchanging notes with your family and friends on all that you will change this year; of the things that you wished you had achieved in the year gone by. Even as you do that and mull over the resolutions and…

As 2015 draws to an end, it is time to celebrate and reflect on the year gone by. Carving out this space for introspection and gratitude can be deeply meaningful. And many of us will also be coming up with our resolutions for the new year. But as you would probably agree, several of our…

There is no denying that technology and connectivity are transforming the way we converse. With email and the likes of Skype, FaceTime, WhatsApp and Facebook, a lot more time is being spent in virtual conversations. Therefore, what happens when face to face conversations take a backseat, in the context of all this connectivity? So, my…

When I introduce myself in India to someone for the first time, the stereotypical question I often get asked is “So, are you very serious?” Gambhir means serious in Hindi and you can imagine why that would be a routine ice-breaker question! Now, in real life, I am not entirely sure how well I am doing to live up to my…

So, have you ever spoken about people behind their backs? Have you indulged in loose talk? Have you relied on getting information from or feeding the proverbial grapevine? Have you spread rumours (deliberately or unintentionally) about someone? Whether we like it or not, gossip is a part of the office and life outside work. It…

Think about those times when in spite of your team members verbally agreeing to certain actions in a meeting, the implementation fell short of your expectations. Do you recall whether the facial expressions, the tone and the gestures of the team members matched their words? My guess is that your response would be “maybe” or…

Have you faced a situation when what you said was completely misconstrued and led to far more angst than you bargained for? Think about why this happened. Could this have been because of your choice of words and the language you used? When we were young, we were chided to mind our p’s and q’s…

Often, I see the same group of people having lunch together every day. Many of them tend to be part of the same team. As I have written before, building close friendships can greatly improve how we work together, not to mention making the hours we spend at work much more enjoyable. But what happens…

Every couple of weeks or so, we receive an email from D. Shivakumar, with a book summary of one the latest books he has read. Shiv leads PepsiCo in India and is on our GCPL board. Shiv’s summary usually consists of 35-50 slides and includes his reflections and learnings from the book. You may wonder – how Shiv finds the…

Over the last few years, we have seen big shifts in terms of what consumers are expecting from and how they are engaging with brands. So, companies are now rethinking the role of Marketing. It is no longer sufficient for brands to just make a promise and then try to live up to it. There…

Have you had situations when someone on your team is not performing as per expectations or not doing their part? Do you address this head-on? Or do you avoid having the conversation? Or do you tend to sugarcoat the tough message? Frankly, many of us struggle to have these kinds of ‘difficult’ conversations. Rather than…

As many of you know, Jack Welch, the renowned former CEO of General Electric, came up with the 4-E (and 1-P) framework for qualities that make a successful leader. The first E is positive energy. It means the ability to go-go-go; to thrive on action and relish change. The second E is the ability to energise others, and inspire them…

The average Facebook user in America spends about 40 minutes a day on it. Estimates suggest that the global average is over 20 minutes or so. That’s a lot of time spent scrolling through updates on people, many of whom you probably haven’t even met in years. And that isn’t counting the time on Twitter…

Most of us grew up in the pre-digital age but are increasingly serving consumers who are digital natives. Digital is fundamentally impacting every facet of our business – how we interact with consumers, how we design and develop products, and how we engage with our employees. Managing the transition to digital is not just critical…

Have you experienced a situation when a colleague appears quite amenable in a meeting? But later, you see a different personality, almost a Mr Hyde surfacing! The colleague does not share the required information, does not respond to your emails in a timely manner or perhaps even tries to sabotage your suggestions! And this probably…

Many times, team members mention to me that they disagree with something that a colleague has done or said. Often when I enquire whether the team member has given the feedback to the colleague, the response is a non-plussed no. Too often, we bottle things inside us or talk behind people’s backs. The intent is…

We all know that effective collaboration is critical to our success. To create and deliver amazing products and experiences to our consumers, we can’t do it alone – we need to meld together a variety of experiences and perspectives. All the pieces need to come together. We talk about needing to become whole-brained as a…

In the last few years, we have seen apologising becoming part of the normal business discourse. We have seen a flurry of public apologies from executives for various issues such as poor customer service, bad product quality, data breaches, insensitive remarks or pointless rants. Yet, knowing if, when and how to say sorry is something many of…

So, let’s say you have had a frustrating day. Things just did not go per your plan. You had a disagreement with someone; you bottled up how you felt inside. And so, before heading home, you decided to stop by a colleague’s desk. Or maybe you called a friend. To let off some steam. To…

I am writing this while I have been travelling with Omar, who leads M&A and Business Development, for our business. Travel is an important part of our jobs – whether it is in your own country or to overseas locations. While technology has changed the frequency of travel, there is still no substitute for the value of…

After a few days travelling, when I returned home this weekend, I was reviewing my to-do list. And I noticed that there were some items that continued to linger on the list for a couple of weeks. There were some things that I had kept on postponing and I was feeling guilty for doing so. I casually mentioned this…

A few weeks ago, we celebrated the birth centenary of Dr. B. P. Godrej. Dr. Godrej was a visionary, who among many other things, launched our Cinthol brand. What is truly incredible, is that over 60 years down the line, the Cinthol Original formulation that he had pioneered – with its germicidal and deodorising properties…

Chances are that some of you will spend your time this morning making checklists for the week. In spite of the best intentions, however, the best laid plans don’t quite work out most of the time. Inevitably, things crop up that that you did not aniticpate, requiring you to rearrange your schedule. In any given…

Last week, I took a couple of days off. And unlike most other times when we end taking active vacations, my family and I decided to just unwind and not have any plans for the time off. Things had been quite hectic the weeks before and so, among other things, I decided to catch up…

As you know, to achieve our growth aspirations, we need to be more agile, be more innovative and connect better with our consumers. Our success will depend on each of you raising your personal bar and taking your contributions up a notch. So, I want to ask you to reflect on the role that you want…

Like many of you, I have had my fair share of both productive and unproductive relationships with my previous bosses. While I was recently reflecting on these relationships, I recognised that in the early part of my career, I tended to put too much of the onus of making the relationship work on my bosses. In hindsight,…

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote to you about carving out pauses and moments for reflection in our everyday lives. Why we need to step back from the fast paced humdrum around us and take the time to reflect on what really matters. And how to ring fence this time for ourselves, often enough and…

As you know, at GCPL, we have exciting and ambitious plans of becoming an emerging markets FMCG leader. But to be able to deliver on these aspirations, we will need to significantly raise the bar on what we expect from our leaders. We also need to groom many more leaders and build a strong pipeline…

Yesterday, as I was boarding a flight to the US, I was making a mental note of some of the things to do on the flight. On the top of the list was to make sure that I caught up with emails that I had fallen behind on. The long flight would provide the perfect…

Over the last few months, I have been writing to you about becoming better and more inspiring leaders, family members, friends and colleagues. To be able to wear these many hats, we need to get more comfortable with who we are as individuals. And identify what it is that really matters the most to us….

Over the last couple of years, we have reorganised our organisational structure to better capitalise on our growth potential, as a global company. We have created separate geographic clusters, to sustain the agile and entrepreneurial spirit of our business. At the same time, we have established global functions to leverage the benefits of scale and…

Two days ago, Ireland made history by becoming the first country in the world to enshrine same-sex marriages in their constitution, through popular vote. Last year, Apple CEO, Tim Cook, sent a powerful message when he wrote an essay for Bloomberg Businessweek, saying, “Let me be clear: I’m proud to be gay, and I consider…

A common refrain that I hear from many of you is that you feel inundated with multiple demands on your time. Apart from your responsibilities as a leader, there are a host of commitments that many of us have to grapple with – as parents, as spouses, as children and as friends. Many of us…

Recently, we have all been saddened by the horrific impact wrought by the disastrous earthquake in Nepal. Many nations, including India, have lent their support towards relief efforts and are helping the country get back on its feet. Fortunately, all our team members are safe there – though they tell us that the scale of…

As you know, becoming more inclusive and diverse as a company is a critical imperative for us at Godrej. Over the last few months, we have had many discussions on what we need to do to champion and drive this change on the ground. One of our biggest debates on the gender diversity front, is…

Hello!

monday8am started out as a series of Monday morning emails to our team at Godrej Consumer Products, on what we could do differently to become better leaders, better team players, better family members, better friends and better citizens. Through this blog, I now hope to include many more of our colleagues, partners and friends, in these conversations. Why the name? Monday, since it is the start of the working week and 8 AM, so that we can think about these things before the day catches up with us.